Humility: The God Attractant

God is not impressed with talent nearly as much as He is with character. Humility, gratitude, and faithfulness are the critical triad if we are to walk in the steps of Jesus. Moses was exactly what Pharaoh was not. By choosing the path of humility, Moses began a divine odyssey that forever would mark human history. God's purpose must always be fulfilled in line with God's character. How do you move toward humility without losing it in the pursuit? Humility begins with self-awareness, and that must be followed with selflessness. If God gives grace to the humble, then that's where I want to be.

God in His nature IS humble. Without humility, a God of infinite power would use His resources to impress rather than to transform. Without humility, God would find no value in us, nor would He be concerned for our well-being. The realization that God, in all of His power and knowledge and wonder, is more humble than any of us is virtually beyond comprehension!

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped; but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and become obedient to death -- even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:5-8 [NIV]

Had Jesus come with power and royalty, wealth and prestige, it would have approved all the things that we lust after. Had He chosen the path that pointed to the highest treasures of men, it would have led us away from the treasures of God. Instead, Jesus was most honored because He was most humble. He has been exalted to the highest place for He, alone, was willing to go to the lowest place. God is holy and in His holiness He chooses to dwell among the humble.

Humility brings us to God not out of obligation but out of gratitude. When we humble ourselves we choose the place of least honor and allow God to call us to any role of servanthood that He might desire. Humility begins with emptying ourselves so that we can receive from God all that we need for the journey.

I find it somewhat ironic that we are never called anywhere in Scripture to pray for humility. Instead, we are commanded to be humble. There are some things that God does and some things that God requires. While humility is a divine attribute, it is placed squarely on our shoulders to choose this path. When we refuse to humble ourselves and God has to insist on it, the experience becomes more than humbling and is often even humiliating.

We cannot enter into a genuine relationship with God without coming to Him in humility. Repentance requires humility, and humility is most practically expressed in submission. When we submit ourselves to God, we are placing our lives under His mission. Submission is not so much about powerlessness but more about meekness. To be meek is to have controlled strength. Like the Roman centurion we see in Scripture [Matthew 8:5-13] we must become a people both of authority and under authority.

We cannot expect to be entrusted with authority over others if we cannot be trusted to live under the authority of others. That's one reason why children who are never taught to honor and submit to their parents make such poor adults. Humility gives us the flexibility to adapt to whatever context we may encounter in our lives.

Anywhere God walks is not beneath us. When we abide in Jesus, we see the power of God unleashed to accomplish His greatest good when we are willing to walk in humility. To be humble allows us the possibility of being truly great.